Obama: A third-straight two-term president

Jan. 18, 2013
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President Obama / Carolyn Kaster, AP

by David Jackson, USA TODAY

by David Jackson, USA TODAY

It seems as if the political world is in a constant state of flux, but one institution is in the midst of historic stability: the presidency.

As his second inauguration approaches this weekend, President Obama is poised to be the nation's third-straight two-term president -- something that hasn't happened in nearly two centuries.

Just three presidents in 18 years. That hasn't happened since the "Virginia dynasty" of Thomas Jefferson (1801-09), James Madison (1809-17) and James Monroe (1817-25).

Two presidential terms is relatively rare in any event.

Of Obama's 42 predecessors, only 14 completed two full terms.

President Grover Cleveland has an asterisk; he served two non-consecutive terms, and is listed as both the 22nd and 24th presidents. And the list includes Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who served a little more than three complete terms.

The last two-term threesome -- Jefferson, Madison, Monroe -- were allies who hailed from the same party.

The modern triumvirate -- Clinton, Bush, Obama -- is a more diverse group, with two Democrats and a Republican.